1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to an airless pump and a cosmetic container including the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to an airless pump and a cosmetic container including the same, in which the structure of the airless pump is improved so as to increase operability and facilitate use, a nozzle is actuated to open or close concurrently with the operation of the pump in order to block external impurities and air from entering when the container is not being used, so that the content may be safely protected, and the nozzle is opened concurrently with the operation of the pump when the container is used, so as to dispense a predetermined amount of the content.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cosmetics made of, for example, gel or cream, are typically used by being contained in dedicated cream cosmetic containers that have relatively wide openings, which are opened/closed by caps, or in tubular cosmetic containers.
Cosmetic cream containers are made of glass or synthetic resin, and are configured such that a user may use cosmetic cream by scooping it out with a finger. Consequently, most such containers have openings that are relatively wide and short.
Accordingly, the user removes a suitable amount of cosmetic cream from inside a container by opening the cap and scooping the cosmetic cream with a finger, and stores the cosmetic cream by closing the container with the cap after having used the cosmetic cream.
However, such a traditional cosmetic cream container does not provide more than the function of simply containing and keeping cosmetic cream therein, and has a structural problem in that it is difficult to create a hermetic seal for the opening when storing the cosmetic cream, since the container is configured such that it is opened/closed using the cap.
There is another problem in that air, impurities, or the like may easily enter the container whenever the content is used, since the container is opened using the cap, thereby polluting or deteriorating the cosmetic cream.
In particular, even if the cosmetic cream is not rapidly polluted or deteriorated, the cosmetic cream easily loses its characteristic perfume or moisture whenever the cap is opened, thereby losing its essential components.
In addition, there are problems in that the cosmetic is wasted, since it is difficult to use the cosmetic cream by removing the required amount with the finger as desired by the user, and that the finger increases the pollution and deterioration of the cosmetic cream through this process.
Furthermore, the cosmetic container has a simple structure with a wide opening, since the cosmetic is used with the finger. However, it is difficult to use all of the cosmetics, since a portion of the cosmetics is left on the edges of the bottom.
Another type of cosmetic cream containers in the related art is tubular cosmetic containers.
Tubular containers are made of one selected from among a variety of soft materials, such as aluminum, laminate, and synthetic resin, and are configured such that the content is dispensed out through a relatively narrow orifice when pressure is applied against the surface thereof. Tubular containers are widely used in order to contain not only cosmetics but also a variety of medical supplies having the form of cream, toothpaste, and detergents such as shampoo.
Although such tubular cosmetic containers have advantages in that they can efficiently keep the content and are convenient to use, their external shape must be disadvantageously deformed since the entire volume is reduced in proportion to the amount of content that has been dispensed, attributable to the intrinsic characteristics of the tube.
Specifically, there is a structural problem in that, as the external shape of the tube is gradually crushed in response to the amount of the content that has been used, it becomes impossible for the tube to keep the original external shape, and thus its appearance worsens. Furthermore, due to the deformed external shape, the preservation ability is lowered and it is not easy to handle the tube when using the tube.
In addition to the foregoing problems, the structure in which the opening is opened and closed causes a structural problem in that external air inevitably enters when the tube is being used. Furthermore, due to the structure in which the content is dispensed by compressing the tube, it is difficult to dispense a suitable amount of the content when using the content.
Recently, in order to solve the problems described above, a cosmetic container having a dual structure that includes tubular inner and outer shells, with an airless pump mounted on an opening, was developed. This structure was also proposed by the applicant.
An example is a patent that was previously proposed by the applicant, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-49071 (Korean Patent No. 10-0963155). This patent discloses a dual structure in which a tubular inner shell is disposed inside a rigid outer shell, and an airless pump is mounted on openings of the inner and outer shells.
Consequently, when an operation button of the pump, which is exposed to the outside from the external shell, is pushed, the pumping force of the pump dispenses the cosmetic that is contained in the tubular inner shell through a nozzle, so that a user may conveniently use the cosmetics.
In the foregoing patent, which was previously registered, both external air and impurities are prevented from entering when the container is not being used, whereas the content is dispensed in a predetermined amount following the operation of the pump when the container is being used. Thus, the original function is satisfactorily realized. However, there is an inconvenience in the use thereof, since the operation button is disposed on the upper portion and the container is operated by upward and downward pushing. Thus, there are several structural problems. For example, the nozzle is disposed on the side portion, and thus the content leaks to the outside when it is dispensed through the side portion.
The configuration of a cosmetic container mounted with another form of airless pump is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 2009-27218. Here, the pump is disposed in the upper portion of a storage container without a tube, in which the pump is operated when a operation button is pushed so that content is dispensed upwards.
However, this approach of the related art has a problem in that the content sticks to a finger when pushing the operation button, since the operation button is disposed parallel to a nozzle in the upper surface of the container.
In addition most examples of the airless pump of the cosmetic container that was proposed in the related art are configured such that a cylinder is disposed between the storage container and the nozzle, a piston is elastically disposed in the cylinder via a spring, and an operation button, which is exposed to the outside, is fastened to one side portion of the piston. Consequently, there is a problem in that errors frequently occur, since a perfect hermetic seal is not provided.
Specifically, there is the problem of pressure leak, since the process of transmitting power that is produced when pushing the operation button is implemented by reciprocating the piston inside the cylinder. In addition, there is a problem in that the performance of dispensing the content is significantly decreased, since the passage of dispensing the content is long.
Furthermore, even the cosmetic container that has the airless pump as described above has a structural problem in that part of the content that is not dispensed always remains along the dispensing passage between the nozzle and the airless pump. The remainder is then exposed to ambient air, thereby being polluted and deteriorated.